National Hockey League (NHL) - No one really knew what to expect when the best Russian players started filtering into the NHL in the late 1980s. Alexander Mogilny provided the first real glimpse of what the fuss was all about when he defected from his native land to join the Buffalo Sabres two decades ago. Scotty Bowman then made headlines in the mid-1990s in Detroit when he rolled out the "Russian Five," consisting of forwards Igor Larionov, Sergei Fedorov and Slava Kozlov (Atlanta Thrashers) and defensemen Vladimir Konstantinov and Slava Fetisov. (NHL.com article by Mike G. Morreale) READ MORE

National Hockey League (NHL) - Detroit Red Wings Coach Mike Babcock has called center Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings) the best player in the NHL. This month, The Hockey News referred to Datsyuk as "the league's quietest superstar." It's more than a little possible that they're both right. Datsyuk is currently fourth in the NHL in points scored, which is where he finished last season -- not bad for a player who is also considered one of the best defensive forwards in hockey. His Stanley Cup championship with the Red Wings last season was the second of his seven-year NHL career.
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Super League - Evgeni Dadonov (Florida Panthers) is one of the up and coming 89 born right wings who has at one point being compared to Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings) in his understanding of the game and style of play. While Dadonov has a long way to achieve Datsyuk’s accomplishments, the young forward is on his way, already with more than a season of professional hockey under his belt with HC Traktor. Our correspondent Alessandro Seren Rosso had a chance to conduct the interview with Evgeny in collaboration with the HC Traktor press department, who have been very helpful and accommodating, deserving a lot of the praise for their assistance.
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Director of Scouting Scott Luce always seems more intrigued by one of his picks than the rest in each draft. Saturday that guy was third-rounder Evgeni Dadonov (Florida Panthers), a Russian whose skill level he said compares to that of Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings) "He has shift-to-shift consistency and plays with passion," Luce said. Problem is, the NHL and the Russian Hockey Federation have no agreement. Until one is concluded, Russian players are off-limits to NHL teams “It's a bit of a wild card,” Luce admitted. "But you're looking at adding a Datsyuk-style player to our lineup, (so) you've got to take that chance." (By Brian Biggane - PalmBeachPost.com)
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Russian Super League - Pavel Datsyuk resigned today with the Detroit Red Wings. The talented center reportedly signed a two year deal worth approximately 3.8 million dollars per year. The young forward has been involved in contract negotiations with the Red Wings for a little over a month with little success. Plagued with salary cap issues, the club aimed to sign the forward for a approximately three million dollars per season, while Datsyuk was reportedly looking for an amount closer to five million dollars per season. The forward’s agent claimed to have sought a long term five year deal worth approximately five million dollars a year. The negotiations were so difficult that the 27 year old forward even signed a back up deal in Russia with RSL club Avangard (Omsk). However, instead of adding a peace of mind, the back up deal gave Datsyuk more trouble than good, as he then became enthralled in a war between Avangard and his former club Dynamo. Now Datsyuk is back in Detroit and will be looked upon as the club’s premier center.

Russian Super League - Pavel Datsyuk closer to rejoining the Red Wings in NHL. RussianProspects.com has learned that Dynamo has matched Avangard’s contract offer, making the young forward obligated to play for the Moscow based club if he decides to remain in Russia. As was the case with Alexander Ovechkin prior to that young forward joining the Washington Capitals, Datsyuk is not likely to rejoin Dynamo after clearly showing intent to leave the 2005 RSL Champion. Furthermore, RussianProspects.com has learned that neither Avangard’s or Dynamo’s offer sheets have been ratified by the PHL, Russia’s professional hockey governing body, which means the young forward remains free to sign a NHL deal until the start of the NHL season in early October.

Russian Super League - Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings) today signed a one year deal with a Super League club, but surprisingly the club in question is not Moscow’s Dynamo, but actually Omsk’s Avangard. The wealthy 2004 champion has unsuccessfully competed for several other NHL caliber players earlier this summer, including Ilya Bryzgalov (Anaheim Mighty Ducks) and Alexander Frolov (Los Angeles Kings). The club’s only worth while NHL acquisition has been former Pittsburgh Penguins stand out Milan Kraft. It is unlikely that the Super League club will be able to hold a star caliber player like Datsyuk in Russia, but the move likely raises the stakes in the Detroit

The Red Wings have been hard at work in making sure that the new financial landscape has little impact on the NHL club’s success. While the club did buy out several of it’s stars, the Red Wings have been working hard to retain a core of players to assure the club’s future. One of the players considered to be part of the core yet to be signed is Pavel Datsyuk, who has been working out in Russia with his 2004-05 club, the RSL Champions Dynamo (Moscow).

The Red Wings have reportedly already offered Datsyuk a five year deal, but the Soviet Sport newspaper reports that Datsyuk was looking for a shorter term, 2-3 year deal with the NHL club. The Red Wings are reportedly looking to sign the talented young forward for an approximately 3.5 million dollar annual salary, while Datsyuk and his agents are looking for a salary in the 5 million dollar range. If the two sides can’t come to an amicable long term deal, Datsyuk will likely be signed to a one year deal and then traded by the Red Wings, as the NHL club unfortunately has little room to maneuver under the salary cap.

Dynamo (Moscow) retained the services of Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings) and Andrei Markov (Montreal Canadiens) in case of a lockout for one more season. While the club’s president Anatoly Kharchuk stated in an interview with the Soviet Sport newspaper that the contracts do not include an NHL clause, they will likely be unnecessary since the players have NHL deals in place, or are restricted free agents, which means that once the NHL signs a deal with the IIHF, all existing NHL contracts or obligations will likely supersede deals signed in Europe, as they have in the past.

Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings) injured his shoulder in the late October match against Metallurg Magnitogorsk. The young forward has been forced to miss the two games prior to the November break in the Super League’s regular season. The injury was not serious and he still may join team Russia for the upcoming Karjala Cup EuroTour tournament in Finland.

Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings #171/1998) was forced to temporarily leave Dynamo Moscow to return to the US in order to sign the necessary paperwork to extend his work Visa in the country. The young forward’s unexpected departure forced Dynamo Moscow to quickly reshuffle it’s lineup for the next two games. The young forward is expected to be back in Russia by next Monday, but will miss at least two games.